No Title
by J-crusader
Summary: In desperation for a change in her boring life, Kuga Natsuki didn't know that she wished for more than she expected. Is this caramel coloured haired, crimson eyed beauty really what she wanted? ShizNat/AU/OOC


**A/N**: As promised: No Title. A happy belated birthday to Natsuki. Until the end:

* * *

The sun was up, warm against the skin and certainly a good day to spend the rest of the day lazing at home. It was the summer sun… Well, it wasn't really the summer sun, since it wasn't even a month to summer. Yet, who cared about that in the first place?

On the other hand, maybe someone did; someone that lived in the quiet neighbourhood, not too far from the coast of the Sendai Bay, in a small three room apartment.

Kuga Natsuki could help but find that it wasn't such a good day to laze at home, since considering how much paper work she had to finish up in the office. Furthermore, how late she already was for work. Then again, even if she was early or late, the paperwork height will always remained the same. It would always be the same, day in, day out. That was what she got for working in the office.

Easing her back against the kitchen counter, Natsuki flipped open the morning papers, making sure to go through every single detail about what was happening with the world, and of course Japan's own. Yet, no matter how many times she settled her eyes onto the newsprint, Natsuki would have herself flipping to the next page, not even sparing a glance at what was the headline.

Natsuki guessed as much, that she was getting sick of reading characters. How many words has she read ever since starting work five years ago?

More than billion…

Well, maybe more than that.

By the time she had finished 'reading' the papers, it had barely passed five minutes, and Natsuki found it hard to do something useful in the morning. Glancing at the clock, emerald eyes widened and realised that…

'Shizuru! You're going to be late!'

It wouldn't take Natsuki a second not to realise that it was already pass seven thirty in the morning and that a certain caramel coloured hair girl was still in her apartment, sound asleep in her room. It was already a quarter to eight and it took at least fifteen minutes, on bicycle, to reach the local high school Shizuru was attending, and in no way was Natsuki going to send the girl over in her Ducati.

No one ever sits on it except for Natsuki.

That was final.

Natsuki was panicking and she then realised that she wasn't even the one attending school. It was Shizuru that was attending. Then why did she have to get all flustered up? Pushing aside that thought, Natsuki noticed that she received no answer from her yell across the living room.

Time was ticking and emerald eyes weren't able to seek out the colour of caramel from around the corner that led to her study and her room. Hesitantly, pushing herself away from the kitchen counter, Natsuki shuffled quickly across to only stop in the middle of the room when she noticed the healthy hue of peachy pink from around the bend of the corridor to her room.

'Argh! Shizuru put on your clothes!

It has been months ever since having this girl living in her apartment, and Natsuki was sure that she was still affected by how seemingly ignorant Shizuru was to walk around the place, naked as the day she was born. Yet, the caramel coloured hair girl would coyly say in return,

'Ara? Then wouldn't it go against my purpose of pleasing Natsuki?'

'For Christ sake! Put on some clothes!'

Her face was burning, Natsuki would note; how easy her cheeks would dye into the colour of satin red. Since young, how easy her mother could make her blush when she alone was sitting on the veranda watching the stars or simply walking down to the convenience store. It made Natsuki wonder, slightly, how people say how thick her skin was when she could get easily jolted.

Talk about ironic.

Shizuru was still apparently taking things a little bit too lightly, since Natsuki found the girl walking out from her room a few seconds later with only her white school blouse on. Furthermore, than what the emerald eyes shouldn't have noticed, that nothing was under that thin cotton shirt and nothing below to cover that damn modesty Shizuru willingly seemed to show to anyone.

It's modesty, dammit!

Then again, Natsuki realised no matter how many times she would tell Shizuru to cover herself up decently, things would always turn back to square one. However, she noted, Shizuru only threw off her clothes when only Natsuki was around, alone in the apartment. Whenever, Mai came over for a little reunion gathering that only made up of two people, Shizuru would be dressed…a bit, too elegant and graceful than she usually was. It was the same thing when Shizuru went out.

Natsuki wondered briefly, how Shizuru's mind worked.

'Would eggs do?'

Natsuki snapped back from her reverie to find Shizuru tying up her long hair into a loose tail, walking pass her and over to the small stove she had in her cozy apartment. Emerald eyes than noticed that her tie had become loose and the top buttons of her blouse undone. Screwing her eyebrows together, she gritted her teeth, how and when did Shizuru do that to her when it had only been a few seconds?

It gets to her, and Natsuki found it mildly frustrating to sometimes find her belt undone her and her collar pushed back to reveal a nice part of her flesh to kiss on.

The clock read ten to eight and Natsuki was worried to have Shizuru skipping class again. It had almost happened once before, which had to be the first day of Shizuru's high school and Natsuki had to sneak the caramel coloured hair girl into the hall when one of the freshman was giving the speech on behalf of all the first years. It was embarrassing so to speak, since Shizuru had her hands all over Natsuki when she was in turn trying to find a seat for the girl to sit.

It was quite an eye opener to some students; it definitely went down their list to try on their boyfriends.

'Eggs?! Just grab the bread; you're going to be late!'

Natsuki rushed over to the kitchen counter to find those unusual cardinal eyes staring back at her. Surprisingly, Natsuki found herself rooted to the ground, her hands went numb on the counter top and her eyes glued solely onto those hypnotising eyes. Shizuru had made her way to Natsuki, tying the blue apron around her waist - colour courtesy of Natsuki.

Natsuki trembled slightly upon finding a warm soft finger tracing her chin and she realised how impossibly close she was to Shizuru. It had been months since they had found themselves this close to each other and there in no condition Natsuki was going to allow Shizuru to take control of the situation, especially when Shizuru had to be in school in the next five minutes before the class bell went.

'Late; Shizuru!'

Pulling back, forcefully, from Shizuru's alluring aura, Natsuki caught her breath and noticed that her breathing was rather ragged than before. She was sweating and she was weak at her knees. Wasn't it always like this when Shizuru had her under her rapture? Presumably, yes, ever since Shizuru peeled off into the adolescence age.

Her eyes caught the glint that came from those cardinal eyes and Natsuki gathered a deep breath before storming over to the couch, bending over to pick up her blanket and her extra pillow she had to have to act as a bolster… She already had one, yet she couldn't take it from her own bedroom since Shizuru had gotten a liking to it ever since arriving in her apartment.

'You better leave for school now, Shizuru.'

Natsuki glanced up from her bend,

'Or else you'll be in…'

'Trouble?'

Natsuki wasn't expecting the caramel coloured hair girl to have followed her to the couch which Natsuki had now called her bed. In addition, she wasn't expecting Shizuru to have pulled over and have her hands placed firmly on her shoulders. Those inviting lips were sure tempting, but Natsuki knew how the rules she made went and she had…

She had to abide by them! No matter the circumstances!

'Late! Very late, Shizuru!'

Fighting off the urge to lean into Shizuru, Natsuki pursed her lips and weakly pried Shizuru off her body and reached over blindly to undo the apron the girl had around her waist. Keeping her eyes up, Natsuki forced Shizuru off her and shoved her into the direction of her room, her ears not failing to pick up the soft groan from the girl.

'Get dressed! I mean it, Shizuru!'

Five minutes to get to school…

Natsuki rubbed her temples and moved over to the door of her apartment, finding it somewhat cleaner than the week before; Shizuru must have been tidying things up after school. Slipping in her work shoes, Natsuki grabbed her jacket on the shoe rack and her folder, taking notice that the amount of shoes from the time Shizuru had arrived 'till know had increase.

Oh, those are nice boots.

Natsuki's eyebrows twitched and emerald eyes closed briefly; just how much has Shizuru been spending? Pulling back from her reach, Natsuki might as well go to work early in order to get the girl out of the house and to school. The more lazing at home just meant that Shizuru would be planning to camp at home and, certainly, laze around with her.

'Going to work? So early?'

'Late.'

Natsuki narrowed her eyes onto Shizuru that apparently didn't care whether she was late for school, and sighed noisily. A chuckle was given in response and Natsuki noticed that Shizuru had grown into her uniform lately; the blazer for the spring was now snug on her shoulders, her tie at a suitable length, and her skirt at a much reasonably length. Had she grown since entering high school? She certainly looked more mature than the last. Natsuki shook her head, she hadn't recalled giving a kiss to Shizuru anytime lately…

'Have you been kissing people?'

'Ara?'

Cardinal eyes looked at her immediately and Natsuki was sure she saw a glimmer of guilt in those deep pools of red. However, things went back to its same aloofness and emerald eyes watched Shizuru walk up to her and slip on her shoes,

'What would Natsuki say if I said yes?'

Natsuki felt a tremor run through her body and she tensed for a moment. Shizuru was only to kiss her and her only. No one else, but did that really matter? Since Natsuki herself wasn't willing to let Shizuru kiss her when the girl insisted she wanted to grow up faster to meet the same age Natsuki was. Yet, Natsuki had a reason, didn't she? That was why she didn't let Shizuru kiss her over and over again just like when Shizuru had first arrived in her apartment.

Yet…

Shizuru was allowing herself to kiss others… No one else really mattered, didn't it?

'Suit yourself.'

Natsuki bit her tongue after letting those words come out of her mouth, not really taking notice that Shizuru had stilled and only starting slipping on her shoes when Natsuki had turned to push open the door.

* * *

'Is Natsuki going to take me school today?'

Emerald met cardinal and Natsuki looked over to her Ducati and back to her wrist watch to find that indeed Shizuru had only about three minutes to reach school before the gates closed. Then again, Natsuki thought about how she made another rule that she was the only one going to sit on her Ducati and no one else. Shizuru was sure going to be late if the girl were to cycle to school, and if that was so, she would have a valid reason of staying at home and the possibilities of dragging Natsuki back into the apartment.

God, no one knows what could happen.

Stepping off the flight of stairs that led to her apartment, Natsuki turned to look at Shizuru once again and saw that innocent smile. Turning around to look at her Ducati that was parked in the vehicle shelter, Natsuki's mind screamed about the rule…

A rule that maybe wasn't final.

'Come on! You're going to be late!'

'If Natsuki wishes.'

'I don't wish for anything!'

'You wished for a change.'

Natsuki snapped her mouth shut and shot a dark look at Shizuru, who was unfazed by it. Natsuki gritted her teeth, could this girl be possibly sent to her, all because of that stupid incessant wish.

Damn, then she shouldn't have wished at all.

Or not.

* * *

'Would Mister Netoru care to explain?'

Shizuru found herself spacing off when it was only the second period of school. History was the first class that took up four periods, which of course was unbearably long, after that was lunch break and then was mathematics and then followed by language… and so on and so forth. Averting her eyes back onto her textbook and her notebook, Shizuru found herself doodling aimlessly at the corners, and she had then realised how really depressed she was since morning, ever since Natsuki had found out about her underlying reason why she had grown recently.

She had Natsuki's name scrawled all over the page.

'Mister Fujikawa?'

It was not like Shizuru had wanted to kiss all these other boys just to get herself to grow. She had wanted to grow because she wanted to be able to reach the same age of Natsuki, to be able to share the same joy and passion she had for Natsuki. However, Shizuru had found out that these small kisses here and there were taking a strain on her. There weren't like as jolting and electrifying like she had when she had first came out from the shell and met Natsuki.

'Kanpachi Goro! What are you implying?'

The kisses she had given to Natsuki, in return, were able to make her grow, seemingly faster than these petty kisses when she made out with the boys in her school. Certainly, they weren't as enticing either. They did make her grow, a little, but recently she realised that no matter how much she kissed the boys in her class or from the other classes, it seemingly did not make her grow.

'Mister Yasutaka? How about you?'

It didn't make her grow. She hadn't been growing even when she had been kissing over and over again. Shizuru was getting worried, and she worried was it because she had gone against the law that she was only to kiss the one she was given and not anyone else for her to grow? Was it because of that? Then again, was there even such a rule? All she madly wanted was to grow up fast enough to be one with Natsuki…then…then…

'Interesting point. Well… Ah, yes, Mister Junichiro?'

Then she had done this all because of her greed? Natsuki's need or what she thought was Natsuki's need was actually wrongly interpreted by what Shizuru had read from Natsuki's wish. This was wrong, all of this was wrong. Shizuru felt her body tremble and her skin prickle. This meant her growth limit had reached its peak… That meant…

'Yes, yes. We must take that into consideration.'

That meant she could no longer grow.

'Now, let's change our perspective to a lady's.'

Shizuru felt her legs go numb and her finger slack. Her eyes widened and she thought she had saw Natsuki standing outside in the corridor; those cool forest green eyes that looked over her ever since she arrived into this world. That lopsided grin.

'Miss Muzukata?'

Shizuru felt her own fingers tracing her lips.

'Ah, good point, Miss Kuga?'

She betrayed Natsuki.

'Miss Kuga?'

She betrayed…Natsuki?

'Shizuru!'

She heard a small hissing whisper from behind her and Shizuru looked up to find her eyes locking onto the small ones of her history teacher along with the other pairs of eyes from her classmates. She dropped her pencil onto the desk and pushed herself up into the stand, heaving a small breath,

'I think Princess Kaguya was a traitor.'

The classroom was silent and Shizuru settled herself back onto her chair, not caring about the weird glances that were sent her way from the girls of her classroom. The boys were unusually quiet and the teacher, Shizuru found, was in quite a pinch. It wasn't long before a cough was released from her balding teacher,

'That is something… different, Miss Kuga.'

Shizuru propped her head onto her hand and stared back at the black board. What was there to be different when all traitors are the same?

* * *

'Going for lunch Kuga?'

Natsuki looked up from her white screen and met the brown eyes of her colleague that had brought along another group of his friends to her cubicle. Her table was cluttered with the paper work and it seemed that it had just been updated this morning; there was another pile at her feet. She took off her glasses and leaned back into her chair,

'No, I'll pass for today.'

'Aw, its not good to go on a diet you know?'

A familiar voice came from behind her colleague,

'Yea, you'll lose your figure Kuga!'

Natsuki shot a glare at the few that stood behind her colleague and in return they froze for a second before shrugging their shoulders and continue on their mindless chatter as that walked away from her cubicle.

'I'll buy back a something?'

'None needed.'

Natsuki nodded as her colleague gave her a thumbs up before walking off to catch up with the group that had walked off briskly to the lift lobby. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, Natsuki moved back to focus on her computer screen. Taking a swig of her coffee from her mug, emerald eyes glanced back at the digital clock on her cluttered table and found it was lunch break for Shizuru in school.

She had hoped that Shizuru would take things more seriously. After all, Shizuru wasn't human, so to speak, since she was literally born from a block of an…ice egg. A god damn big egg, for that. Heaving another heavy breath, Natsuki closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, hoping to ease the tension that was welled up inside her. Why in the world would Shizuru want to grow up so fast? Natsuki rather be stuck in high school than where she living her life now, stuck under piles of paperwork. Each stack due the next day.

Sometimes Natsuki just wished that her life would change… Well, maybe not sometimes… All the time.

In return of wishing on practically every second, she gets a girl that wants to kiss her senseless in turn to grow and have hot sex with her.

Hot sex.

Natsuki groaned, not in a century was she going to allow Shizuru to have sex with her until the girl had gotten a grip of herself on her mind that such things are not just games.

Definitely not games.

A soft vibration came from her pocket and Natsuki hurriedly reached down to take her compact phone out from her pants, to be surprised at who was calling her during this time.

'Natsuki?

'Yes Shizuru? Is something wrong?'

There was a brief silence, and Natsuki had wanted to end the call, seemingly believing that Shizuru had just called to pull a prank on her. It had happened a few times, when Shizuru had just been introduced to what mobile phone could do and it scared the living hell out Natsuki when the girl called her during work. Who wouldn't be when the girl in your apartment then was aged nine?

'Are you going to come home late today?'

Natsuki's eye looked across her desk and frowned, but the voice on the other side sounded too concerned to be playing on her. What on earth had gotten to Shizuru? Could she have picked up on using mood swings too? Natsuki pulled forward to her desk and leaned against the corner of her table, holding the phone to her ear, she chuckled,

'No, I'll be back around the same time.'

Her ears could pick up the soft breathing of the girl on the other side and she was sure she could hear the cheers of boys coming from the background followed by the squeals of girls. Natsuki realised how noisy Shizuru's class can be, she had visited once during lunch break when Shizuru had just started high school, and it certainly didn't seem noisy then.

'What are you eating?'

There was a soft gasp from Shizuru and Natsuki grinned, sometimes she wished to see these expressions on Shizuru, since most of the time in the apartment, she saw the looks of a beast waiting to eat her prey. Natsuki wanted to the different sides of Shizuru; after all, Shizuru was to her someone important. Shizuru had a sweet voice; a distant voice that had a ring to it. A soothing ring that said,

'Curry Bread.'

* * *

'Who were you talking to?'

'My…'

'Boyfriend?'

Shizuru spared a glance the vice-representative of her class, Mori Kozue. A girl that boys of her school would say could match up to Shizuru's enthralling beauty. Who could object when Kozue's skin was flawlessly smooth like Shizuru, her long obsidian hair silky and her brown eyes as unique as Shizuru's cardinal? All in all, they were rivals; the end, full stop. Shizuru turned back to face Kusunoki Megumi, a fellow classmate that sat in front of her and opened her mouth to continue,

'My…'

'Lover?'

Shizuru managed prevent from shooting a cold glare at Kozue and turned rather robotically to meet in a hard clash with those brown eyes. From the side, Shizuru was aware how Megumi was trying to settle things, but by the looks of it, Kozue didn't want to budge. Shizuru forced a smile at the vice-representative that leaned forward sneering,

'It seems so, since you were talking to him in all lovey-dovey.'

'Is Miss Mori jealous that I have a lover?'

Shizuru had no idea what a lover was, but she didn't care now, since she didn't want to ruin the moment she just had with Natsuki. She heard the word before; among the girls of her class…it had a nice ring to it. She will ask Natsuki later, what exactly was a lover. A boyfriend, she knew that well, in her eyes, Natsuki was her boyfriend…a very charming, sexy one indeed. Cardinal eyes noted how those brown eyes hardened on her and sooner than expected Shizuru watched Kozue storm away from beside her.

'So, was that really your lover?'

Megumi's voice echoed in her ears and Shizuru turned back rather quickly to the girl that she found ideally cute like a little doll. Yet, when she turned back, Shizuru realised she had no idea how she was going to answer that question, since she had no idea what a lover was. Biting her lower lip, Shizuru straightened and brought her hands to her chest, fiddling with the ribbon the girls had to tie their collars with.

'No…?'

'Eh?'

Megumi eased out, quite exasperatedly, and Shizuru smiled and added,

'It was someone important to me.'

'Really? So you do have a boyfriend after all!'

'What?!'

Shizuru looked to the side to find the baseball boys in her class looking at her in disbelief. Judging from the confused look coming from Kanpachi Goro, ace pitcher in the school, Shizuru wasn't going to have an easy time saving the name who apparently Megumi believed was her boyfriend. Natsuki was a girl…but she was considered Shizuru's boyfriend. Then again, Natsuki wasn't a boy but a girl…shouldn't she be a girl…friend instead?

A girlfriend? Was there such a thing?

'Kuga has a boyfriend? I kissed her yesterday!'

'You did what!?'

Watching Goro haul one of the batter up by his collar, Shizuru merely covered her lips and swallowed thickly, hoping that things wouldn't escalate. Then and there she felt a piercing glare from the side and she found brown eyes shooting her down. Kozue was being a thorn in her foot and Shizuru was really going to do something then, but the moment she stood up to say something to break things up, the next period teacher came in…

There went the lunch bell.

* * *

Shizuru, Shizuru, Shizuru.

'What is with the name Shizuru?'

'Eh?'

Natsuki found herself scrambling over her desk to cover the tissue that came along with the coffee she had bought from the vending machine outside. She did not expect to find her colleague returning so soon from his lunch break. He just left a couple of minutes ago! Well…ten minutes wasn't long enough to eat a meal at the canteen, even Natsuki couldn't do it when she was starving hungry.

'Anyways, I got you a chicken burger.'

Along with the chicken burger, that looked that it could be finished in a bite, was a can of Georgia coffee that came from the vending machine. Two coffees, one hot and one cold…more the merrier. Watching her colleague grab a vacant chair nearby, Natsuki reached over to the burger and peeled open the wrapper, she glanced at those brown eyes and asked nonchalantly,

'What about you?'

She watched him raise a bag that was in his left hand and he settled down to bring out another chicken burger with a can of soda. Bubble gum flavour…ugh, how can he stand such a taste? Thanking him from the said meal, Natsuki glanced back to eye the tissue she was doodling on after much thought from the conversation she had with Shizuru.

She was indeed surprise that she had written Shizuru's name more than twenty times on the tissue with her black pen. What was with her name? Taking a bite off the burger, Natsuki noticed her colleague's eyes on her,

'So how's life?'

'Spit it out, coward.'

Natsuki noticed how he cringed at her words and gave into a sigh as her eyes watched him tense up. Apparently, she had hit the bull's-eye this time, since most of the time when he talked to her in such a manner, it meant something was up and he was running from it. Hearing a heavy noisy exhale, Natsuki dug further into her burger.

'I got dumped.'

She choked on the chicken, or the lettuce, she did not know but Natsuki was sure she was choking then. Then she laughed, hard,

'Again!?'

'It's not funny Kuga.'

'Yes it is, since it has been your twentieth.'

'Nineteenth.'

Natsuki waved her hand,

'Still the same. Get over it. You'll find another girl.'

Her colleague sighed once again, and Natsuki took the last bite to finish her burger, wiping her hands onto her blouse. She turned around once again and found her eyes wandering back to the tissue that had Shizuru's name written all over. Will Shizuru ever leave her? Well, it was impossible; since the girl literally spelt out I love you with her body language and action. Then again, Shizuru was stealing kisses from other people other than her, was this the change that is happening in her life? Wasn't Shizuru in her life already that big change?

One change was enough.

Shizuru was enough.

She didn't want Shizuru to leave.

'Kuga?'

Natsuki jerked her head up and she found brown eyes looking worriedly at her. Her face was burning hot and she felt tense. Taking one last glance at the tissue on her desk, Natsuki took a swig at the hot coffee.

It burned her tongue, but at least she knew it reminded her that this was reality.

* * *

'Miss Kuga, this goes back onto the third shelf.'

Shizuru nodded and took the book by the spine and spun her way back into sorting the books out in the trolley. Classes were over and she had given Natsuki another call to tell her that she was staying back from Library committee duty. A club she had signed up during orientation week since she learned that it did not need her to stand under the sun or in the heat, which she seemingly found annoyingly a pain to her skin and it was the easiest thing she found she could do without needing the so much knowledge about the world.

It was like cleaning and sorting Natsuki's apartment. Gathering the similar things together and putting them in an orderly manner, just that instead of Natsuki's clothes, it were the books of the school library. Some of the books belong to the top shelf, like how Natsuki's lingerie went all the way to the top of the cupboard, where Shizuru had a hard time reaching when she found she had none left to wear, or seemingly she had out grown the ones Natsuki had gotten for her.

The heavy books like the dictionaries and encyclopaedias went to the bottom, like Natsuki's sleeping shirts that were big and baggy; big enough to cover Shizuru to the knee and big enough for her to pass a scolding from Natsuki on why she wasn't dressed decently. Why would she be? When Natsuki and her were the only ones in the apartment. It was not like anyone was going to barge in and snap a photo.

Then again, who was the one freely kissing people here and there? Shizuru inwardly cringed at the thought and moved on to finish organising the books together. Upon finishing, she pushed the trolley down the isle, her heart throbbing at the mere thought of her spending her kisses for growth for free. But, wasn't her kisses free? Unlimited?

Turning her wrist up to see the back, the pale white sign of infinity rested there. It was infinity, an eight that was lying down…or was it really supposed to be seen as an eight? Shizuru shook her head and pushed on towards the third shelf; she could spare a hundred kisses, a thousand, a million. Any number was fine for her. However, why had her growth limit reached its peak when she was only the age of fifteen? Was it really that she had gone against a rule? Yet, she wasn't reminded in any way that she was to follow!

Wait. There was no rule, no law.

Shizuru felt her knees buckle and her hands tremble. Was this really happening because she was doing this for her own and not to help Natsuki wish of having a change? If it was, Shizuru was afraid, very afraid; since she knew her sole reason for being with Natsuki was to…

'Shizuru?'

Shizuru found her eyes focusing on Megumi and she pulled back slightly.

'I'm sorry.'

'Are you alright? You're face is pale.'

Shizuru touched her lips and felt a cold tremor run up her fingers.

* * *

'I'm back.'

Natsuki had remembered how months ago, she had come back home, saying those words and hear none in reply. Yet now, when she did so, she would Shizuru's voice call out,

'Welcome home…' and Natsuki would purposely ignore the word, '…Master.'

Settling her eyes onto Shizuru, which she found no surprising, dressed in only the blue apron which she had insisted Natsuki to buy for her, with nothing underneath. It was much a routine now that Natsuki found it hard not to scold the girl, simply because Shizuru would only throw off her clothes a second after she had put them on.

'Dinner's not done yet, is there…?'

'Take your time. I'm going to bath.'

Natsuki was expecting the girl to bound her way and insist that she joined Natsuki in a bath, and help her scrub her back. However, Natsuki heard nothing of that and only a simple one response,

'Okay.'

She shrugged it off her shoulders; maybe Shizuru had just found a new personality in school she had taken into study. After all, Shizuru was practically new to everything on earth, except from the fact that she wanted to have sex with Natsuki the moment she step foot in her apartment. Shedding her shirt and her pants to the laundry bin, along with her undergarments and all, Natsuki ran a cold shower.

To clear her head off, Natsuki only made it colder by filling the tub with cold water and enduringly soaking in it for at least five minutes before jumping out and scrambling for a towel to dry herself off. What made the time in the bathroom even more unusual was that Shizuru did not even knock on the bathroom door to ask her whether she needed anyone to be in there with her.

Odd.

Very.

'Is leek the only thing you can cook?'

Emerald locked on cardinal that walked passed her and placed a plate of vegetables onto the kitchen counter.

'No, why does Natsuki say so?'

Natsuki felt her eye brows twitch and she plopped herself down onto the high chair,

'There's leek in every dish! The meat has leek with it, the fish has leek, the vegetable is leek,' emerald caught hold onto something, 'Even the soup contains leek!'

'That's spring onion.'

'It's still leek.'

Natsuki found it odd to just watch Shizuru look blankly at her, instead of giving her those pleading looks to make her say that it is spring onion instead of leek. Unusually, Shizuru started to collect the dishes and move over to the bin and empty the contents starting with the meat. At that, it rendered Natsuki to shock and she immediately jumped to her feet,

'Shizuru what are you doing!?'

'Natsuki does not like leek, doesn't she?'

'That doesn't mean you have to throw the food away!'

Natsuki snatched Shizuru's hand and twisted it up, preventing anymore food from falling into the bin.

'You're wasting food!'

Natsuki pried Shizuru's had from the plate and moved the remaining food to the side, to find that most of it had gone into the bin. Gritting her teeth, Natsuki scowled, dumping the plate into the sink before turning back to look at Shizuru that stood unnervingly quiet beside her.

To her surprise and astonishment, Natsuki found the girl backing away from her, Shizuru's head tucked between heaving shoulders and that cotton candy light caramel coloured hair falling over her face. Natsuki panicked the instant she heard a tight hitch of breath.

'God no, don't cry Shizuru!'

Rushing over to the girl's side, Natsuki gently gripped Shizuru by her shoulders and tried in vain to pull the girl closer to her. However Shizuru being weirdly insistent of staying away from her, forcefully shrugged off Natsuki's hands and promptly ran out from behind the kitchen counter and into the living room… only to slip and fall over Natsuki's tie.

Hesitantly lowering herself next to Shizuru that lay sprawled on the floor, her caramel coloured hair splayed out in all directions, Natsuki ran a hand down the girl's delicate arm.

'I…I'm…I'm….'

Natsuki stopped her actions when she heard the desperate breaths from Shizuru and moved closer on her knees.

'I…I'm…so…so…'

Natsuki gently brought her hands underneath the thin fabric of the blue apron she had bought for Shizuru and lifted the girl gently by her waist. Upon doing so, her emerald eyes found cardinal eyes overflowing with tears and pouring out like waterfalls, like those in the mountain of Aomori…or was it Iwate? Anyway, Natsuki was worried, worried to the bottom on why Shizuru was crying suddenly.

'I'm so sorry!'

At that, Natsuki found Shizuru bawling herself out onto her white shirt and clinging onto her shoulders in desperation. Again and again, Natsuki could hear Shizuru apologising over and over again in broken sobs for which Natsuki could find no reason to why Shizuru was apologising. If it was the food she had just thrown out, it wasn't Shizuru's fault, since Natsuki had pushed her luck in finding out why Shizuru was acting a little off. Certainly, Shizuru herself didn't know that food was not to be thrown away, since Natsuki rarely left anything on the plate when it came to food.

She was literally a food bin.

Then again, it didn't seem that way… it seemed that Shizuru was crying not just of that but of something else. Come again…

Why was Shizuru being sorry about?

'I'm so sorry'

Reaching over to slip her hands across the smooth flesh of Shizuru that wasn't covered by the apron, Natsuki picked Shizuru up gently and breathed softly into her ear, earning and hitch of a breath from the girl.

'I'm so sorry.'

With that, Natsuki hugged Shizuru tightly and cradled her until she heard,

'Natsuki…'

* * *

Natsuki's life was like this:

At six in the morning, she would be still soundly sleeping in bed and by six thirty, she would have her alarm ringing to chase her out from under her sheets. At six thirty-five, she would be standing in her bathroom washing up; seven, ready to leave and seven ten standing in the train that will take her to her work place. At eight, she starts her work at her desk.

At twelve, she stops for lunch and comes back at one to start once again on her paperwork. At exactly three forty-five, a colleague of hers would come in carrying another stack of papers. At five, she would have herself at the vending machine, waiting for her instant coffee. At eight, she would be preparing to leave work and at nine, she will be walking up the slope to her apartment.

At nine thirty, she would be in the bath; ten, she will be eating from her storage of cup noodles. Finally at eleven, after much lazing around, she'll find herself watching the news and at twelve, she'll be in bed, sleeping for another typical day.

Life was like that for Natsuki for the last two years until one Sunday morning:

'A delivery for Kuga Natsuki?'

Natsuki stood in front of the delivery man and signed the delivery papers before turning back into her messy apartment with an unusually big humongous box in her living room.

'What the hell is inside this?'

Placing her hands on the surface of the thick delivery cardboard box, Natsuki pulled back instantly upon feeling the bone chilling sensation that snuck up her arms upon contact. She stared at it and looked back at her hands; it seemed to have gotten a little bit sticky and warm when it was freezing cold seconds ago. Running to her kitchen, Natsuki managed to find her mothers gardening gloves and she slipped them on without much thought.

After all, she wanted to protect her hands, didn't she?

No way did she want to touch something unearthly.

Who was this from, again?

Touching the box again, Natsuki found herself pushing it into her study, which she found surprisingly clean since she had insisted Mai that her apartment did not need its weekly cleaning. Well, at least she was being honest this time. Turning back to look at what she had accomplished, to Natsuki's horror, she found a thick slimy trail on the wooden floor of her apartment.

'Argh! What the…!'

Cursing loudly at what littered her floor, Natsuki glared back at the box which towered over her and realised that something was indeed wrong with the package, inside or outside, she didn't care. It was wrong!

It felt wrong, it looked wrong; since it had this cold vapour that was freezing the edges…

It was definitely wrong!

Right off the mark!

Moving across her study to find a penknife, Natsuki watched an unearthly glow of purple shroud her room and she snatched the nearest object she could find to defend herself… A book.

More like a pamphlet to a new hairdresser.

'What the hell is in this freaking hell hole?!'

Taking a daring step towards the package, Natsuki noted that her legs were quivering and her arms and hands trembling in fear. Reaching out to touch the package once again, Natsuki felt a jolt of electricity run into her and she yelped, pulling back quickly. Oh ho, she was going to get Mai over this instant and with that…

Mai was over by Natsuki side…

Groaning.

'You called me over here, on a Sunday… to help you open a package?'

'God dammit Mai! It's unearthly!' Emerald eyes was seemingly caught up between looking at her high school friend and the package that looked as if it had changed her study into some sort of mutant jungle,

'Just look at it!'

'It looks just fine to me.'

'You must be joking.'

Mai's lavender eyes settled onto widened emerald and sighed,

'I'm not.'

Natsuki spent the next thirty minutes persuading Mai into opening the package and to finally get the red head to open it for her upon agreeing to go for the next karaoke session Mai was having.

Come heaven or hell, she rather die than open the package with her hands. Look how bizarre it was! It was practically eating up her study with its purple aura and its chilling atmosphere.

'Oh, look. You have a block of ice.'

'What.'

'There, there, Natsuki. There's nothing to be scared of.' Mai leered at her, 'It's only a block of ice.'

'Who sends a block of ice in a cardboard box?!'

'Your uncle?' Natsuki shot a look at Mai, who in turn shrugged her shoulders, 'I heard he was a explorer.'

'And he sent me a block of ice from the Arctic?'

Mai smiled and Natsuki felt her eyebrows twitch madly.

'I was just joking!'

Natsuki found herself shoving her friend out of her apartment, grumbling and murmuring under her breath about how Mai teased her endlessly. She didn't even have an uncle in the first place. Oh well, she couldn't return to whoever sent it, since she had already opened it and it seemingly looked as if it was melting in her study. Yet, why in the first place would someone have ice delivered in a cardboard box and moreover, through a normal hand object delivery service?

Emerald eyes found themselves watching the block melt into a soft substance that drifted to her feet. It felt somewhat slimy like the trail it left earlier…

Ice melts into water!

It wasn't water she was feeling!

Natsuki was in a bind. Looking up to block of ice, that Mai assumed it was, Natsuki found that it was sprouting unusual string like things out in all directions, attaching themselves to the corners to Natsuki's study. She felt her jaw drop and Natsuki picked herself up from the shock and ran to the attachments, hoping that it was as flexible and brittle it looked. However…

'What is this thing made of?!'

Grasping the string attachments that ran from the tall block to the wall, Natsuki heaved big breath before trying once again to break it. She was sure it wasn't made of metal since Natsuki knew she had the strength to bend metal. That was once, back in high school, then again, she knew she could bend metal if she really put her mind to it.

It wasn't bending, so metal was out of the question.

Collapsing back in utter defeat, Natsuki sat, shockingly on a hard surface. She had thought she would be standing on the same slimy substance she stepped on earlier; yet, it seemed that it had turned frozen over into a solid. Averting her gaze back onto the object, she realised her eyes could make out a shape of a human that was snugly fitted into the volume of it.

A human?

Natsuki's study had suddenly turned cold and she realised that the purple glow that the block gave off was gone and what was now left was this soft haunting sound of a steady heartbeat. Pushing herself up, Natsuki moved in closer to find herself looking at a opaque surface…wasn't it transparent just then? She had seen it, there certainly someone inside this block of…ice.

However, how in the world was there a being inside this…ice? This was not the ice age and Natsuki definitely didn't want research teams and scientists in her house. Then…what was this thing in her house? It was indeed different and something extraordinary.

It was something different.

Something that brought a change in her daily life…

Change.

Natsuki glanced at it and placed a daringly hand on its surface.

'What are you?'

*

Days went by endless for Natsuki after receiving that block of…ice, which Natsuki had gotten use to calling it by know. Night after night she will pop by her study and find that it was indeed something out of this world, since it had grown into Natsuki's study. The solid attachments now thick like water pipes and the base seemingly freezing over and over again to form a new base every week. It wasn't glowing, it was just the dull colour of light sky blue that made Natsuki gaze at it every now and then after work.

She could hear it, the soft beating of a heart. It was haunting at first, to have this beat echoing through the apartment in the dead hours of the night. Then again, after a while, Natsuki found that it was soothing and relaxing. As if someone was there watching over her, keeping her safe and secure. It was really as if someone was sleeping with her.

That sounded wrong.

Now and then, Natsuki would note, how her study would grow warm when she walked into her study to seemingly try to dig out a book she needed for work and turn cold the moment she stepped out. It was funny, much to say, that it responded to Natsuki. Natsuki found it amusing, since she herself found the block of ice more interesting than it already was.

Her eyes, now and then, would be able to catch a glimpse of who was inside that block and to her surprise; it seemingly looked little girl. Since the summer came for Natsuki in her third year of her work life in office, Natsuki found herself settling in her study more than she was spending time on the couch watching the news or aimlessly switching through uninteresting programmes on the television.

*

'Na.'

'Tsu.'

'Ki.'

Natsuki had thought she had heard wrongly, but then it was said again, in a sweet soft voice that echoed in her study. Her emerald eyes found themselves drifting over to the object that stood in her study and she surprised to see a warm glow of light lavender coming from the block.

'Natsuki!'

Natsuki realised she should install a door bell, just to not raise her hopes that the person inside the block was trying to communicate with her. Even how real it seemed to be. Stumbling from her sit on the chair she was in, Natsuki rushed to the door to find an impatient Mai standing in front of her, hands on the hips and dressed as if there was going to be a long vacation.

'Why are you still not ready?!'

'Ready?'

'There's a high school class gathering tomorrow in Saitama!'

'Mai, that's outside Tokyo.'

'That's why I'm here to pick you up. I knew that you wouldn't be ready.'

Natsuki stared dumbly at Mai to find her orange haired friend walking pass her and straight into her apartment. Turning around, Natsuki found Mai rooted to the ground.

'Did you leave the air conditioner on for a whole month?'

Natsuki realised she was already long use to the cold atmosphere the block of ice had seemingly created overtime ever since it had arrived in her apartment. It was normal, to have the temperature running down to zero. It was freezing in here, but Natsuki knew it would turn warm the moment she moved into the study. It was normal.

'It's freezing!'

Mai moved down to Natsuki's room and passed the study only to find herself taking her steps backs and peering in, to find her mouth turn slack and her eyes widening, until Natsuki arrived beside her.

'It's called ice.'

'Ice?'

'Yea. It's actually nice to have it growing in my apartment.'

At that, Mai found herself on her knees and Natsuki heaving her up and pulling her into the living room; limp all over.

'Tell me that what I just saw was an illusion.'

'Well, if I tell you that, then it will be a lie.'

'Then tell me the truth.'

'Well…what you just saw was the truth.'

Mai's lavender's eyes widened and Natsuki pulled back.

'That can't be the truth!'

Natsuki raised an eyebrow and grin amusingly at her friend's behaviour, it was quite a sight to see Mai acting like that.

'It's…It's…'

'It's unearthly?'

'Heavens, Natsuki! What did I just open up and put inside your apartment!?'

Natsuki shrugged her shoulders, only to be shaken even more by Mai.

'How can you be so calm about it!? Natsuki, it might be a monster, an alien, an…!'

'Mai.'

Mai instant fell back on the couch and closed her eyes, easing out what Natsuki believed was the longest breath she ever heard. The living room temperature had increased a bit, but it was still cold and Natsuki could feel the strong pull her study was giving off to her. Plopping herself down next Mai, Natsuki closed her eyes too and smiled,

'Can you help me say hello to everyone?'

* * *

'Shizuru.'

Natsuki could hear the girl in her arms give out a small hum of acknowledgement, and Shizuru moved further into Natsuki's arms. Emerald lifted her gaze off the caramel colour hair girl that was snuggled warmly against her front and tensed slightly before breathing out noisily,

'If you keep holding onto me like this,' Natsuki paused briefly, 'I'm not going to be able to eat.'

Holding her instant cup noodles before her, Natsuki found it quite difficult to move her head over Shizuru's and take in a slurp of her noodles. She already had problems getting Shizuru off her once she realised that the girl was warming up to her after pouring out tears, tears that Natsuki were still dumbfounded by. Making her instant noodles was quite a challenge, since Shizuru clung dearly onto her and Natsuki had quite a chore moving around the kitchen to boil some hot water.

In the end, she was able to get some water boiled and prepare two cups of instant noodles. One for Shizuru and one for herself. However, Natsuki realised after the five minutes of waiting for the noodles to cook, Shizuru didn't want to move from her embrace she had on Natsuki and it seemed that she wasn't going to let go for the night.

'I'm hungry, Shizuru.'

Shizuru merely nodded her head against Natsuki's chest and tighten her hold around neck. Leaning forward, Natsuki sighed before reaching over to her cup and motioning Shizuru to look at her. Emerald found Shizuru's eyes in a kiss, and Natsuki was a little guilty at what she saw before her. Shizuru's eyes were puffy and it seemed that she was still crying even though there were no more tears.

'Come on, I'm sure your hungry.'

'No.'

'No?'

A nod was received on Natsuki's end and Natsuki looked blankly at her food and started to stir the noodles with the given disposal chopsticks. The warm steam wafted before her face and Natsuki blew a breath out before stretching her neck over Shizuru's head to take a slurp of her noodles.

'I'll eat your cup then, Shizuru?'

There was no response and Natsuki was getting more than worried just by looking at those expressionless dark cardinal eyes. Easing back, moving Shizuru along with her, Natsuki set her cup in between their bodies and gave out a lopsided grin,

'Here, you can share one with me.'

Cardinal eyes looked at the yellow puffy noodles within the white cylindrical container and then back at Natsuki. Emerald eyes found it quite amusing to have Shizuru pull her hands back from around her neck and bring them to her chest; it was so similar then when Shizuru first arrived in her apartment. She was still so much like an innocent little girl.

'It's hot.'

Natsuki dug her chopsticks into the noodles and lifted a portion up, bringing the hot white steam along with it. She could see those cardinal eyes hiding from behind those caramel coloured tresses and she caught onto the glint of happiness. Safe.

Shizuru leaned forward and closed her mouth onto Natsuki's chopsticks, pulling back after taking in the noodles that hung from it. Natsuki watched silently as the girl chewed and she rested her hands by her sides,

'Still hungry?'

Shizuru looked at her timidly and Natsuki stirred her noodles once again, only to find Shizuru's soft hands over hers and holding the cup along with her. Emerald stared at her hands for a while before she lifted her head to Shizuru's voice,

'I'm full.'

'God, what kind of an appetite do you have?'

'Watching Natsuki makes me full.'

Natsuki dropped her silly grin and stared into cardinal eyes that spoke volumes of affection for her. She cringed slightly when Shizuru continued softly,

'That I am satisfied.'

Silence engulfed them and Natsuki found it unnerving, that she started to chew onto her lip and simply stared at the girl that sat on her. Shizuru merely stared back and it seemed like ages had passed between them until Natsuki's stomach growled.

'Alright, I'm still hungry and…'

Emerald glance at cardinal,

'I can't eat properly with you sitting on me Shizuru.'

* * *

'Go to sleep, Shizuru.'

Shizuru watched Natsuki shed her white shirt to the ground, revealing to the girl a well toned back and an eye catching brassiere. Feeling her thighs burn in an unusual sensation, Shizuru gripped Natsuki's bed sheets tighter and crossed her legs, hoping that this would wear off, even though how many times she had felt this way whenever she was alone with Natsuki.

Come on.

'Where did my top go?'

'You mean this?'

Shizuru watched Natsuki turn around immediately and scrunch up her features to show her discontent. Natsuki heaved a sigh, stormed over to the edge of her bed and folded her arms,

'Why are you wearing my shirt?'

'Natsuki did say that I was allowed to use anything of hers.'

Natsuki furrowed her brows together and eased out a breath, closing her eyes,

'Yes, I did say that.' Shizuru noted the paused, 'However, that doesn't mean you can wear what I wear to sleep.'

'Natsuki said anything.'

Letting out a frustrated growl at Shizuru's feigned ignorance, Natsuki walked back to her cupboard and picked up her shirt from the floor, mumbling and grumbling at how Shizuru unusually wore something to sleep. Since it was usual to walk into her bedroom and find Shizuru bare to the bottom, curling up in her bed and snoozing lightly.

Where was her modesty?

God, Natsuki didn't want to know where Shizuru threw it to.

'Natsuki.'

The said person glanced over to her shoulder to find Shizuru sitting up on her bed and pushing the sheets to the side. Natsuki stood up straight and felt her ears burns; why was it always like this? Her emerald eyes watched Shizuru pat the empty side of the bed and motioned Natsuki to join her. Yet, Natsuki controlled and gulped hard, turning back instantly upon finding Shizuru spreading her legs open.

Hell, that could cause one nose bleed, even though how many times Natsuki have settled her eyes on it.

Shizuru purred once again and Natsuki shivered, how enticing and alluring Shizuru's voice had grown into. It used to be a soft child's voice when she first arrived, yet now, it was seducing, thick and ultimately sexy. Then it snapped into Natsuki, Shizuru had been kissing other people to make her grow up faster than Natsuki wanted…

She has…hasn't she?

'Sleep.'

Shizuru was taken aback when Natsuki ran a hand through her black hair, spun on her heel and walked out of the bedroom. Through all of that, Shizuru realised that Natsuki didn't even spare her a glance. The door slammed quite loudly and Shizuru winced.

* * *

'Tomorrow is a day off…tomorrow I…'

Natsuki lowered her mobile phone from in front of her face and glance to the side to find Shizuru standing, stark naked with only a pillow covering her chest. She had turned off the lights to the living room a long time ago, but the apprehension of how she acted to Shizuru just now was getting to her that she had to busy herself with her schedule to clear her head. Certainly, she had not expected Shizuru to come out of her bedroom.

As said before, the couch was Natsuki's bed ever since Shizuru arrived; since she had insisted then that a child like Shizuru should sleep in a proper bed instead of something uncomfortable like a stone-ass-couch Natsuki had. Shizuru was only nine then when she first cracked out from that block of ice, Natsuki was very unsure of where a child should sleep, since her mother had practically let her sleep anyway in the old house back in Hokkaido.

Natsuki practically slept on the veranda once in winter and her mother didn't really bother.

That was because she was a summer baby…that still caught a cold because of reality.

Anyway, Natsuki had given up her bed to Shizuru then. Yet, once Shizuru had slipped into the age of adolescence, the girl had been imploring Natsuki to come back to the bedroom. Natsuki, having known what exactly Shizuru wanted to do since arriving, declined, rather flatly that she rather sleep on the couch than do something rightly immoral in her bedroom.

However, now, what was unusual was that Shizuru was standing next to the couch. Through the dim lighting by the corridor lights outside, Natsuki was sure that Shizuru looked that she was going to cry again. Pushing herself up, Natsuki watched Shizuru walk quickly to her and expectedly jumped onto her body.

'Shizuru!'

'Let me sleep with Natsuki.'

Natsuki rolled her eyes, flipped her mobile phone close and eased out a sigh,

'No. Now get off.'

Shizuru said nothing and Natsuki felt the girl's hands clutch tight onto her shirt and her body shivered. Holding up a tough front, Natsuki pushed up, and moved the girl down her chest. Using her legs to prop the girl up, Natsuki jerked Shizuru up with her hands and got her of her body and onto the far end of the couch.

'You have a bed Shizuru.'

'It's Natsuki's bed.'

Emerald eyes closed and Natsuki rubbed the bridge of her nose, she inhaled and slid her phone onto the low table nearby.

'Yes, technically, it is my bed.'

'Then why isn't Natsuki in her bed?'

Just what was Shizuru insinuating? Natsuki reached over to switch on the lamp by the couch and she was surprised to find that Shizuru bore nothing but a look of a child caught red-handed. Yet, Shizuru didn't have her hand in the cookie jar…what was there to be guilty about? Natsuki dropped her hand to the side and kicked her legs up against the low table,

'Shizuru, just return to the bedroom.'

Natsuki turned to find Shizuru's shoulders trembling and indeed her emerald eyes found cardinal eyes brimming with tears. Natsuki choked at the sight and her mind whirled. She didn't mean to be harsh on Shizuru, well; she wasn't even being harsh on Shizuru. If she was, Shizuru would be dressed in something and sleeping in the bedroom at the moment. Natsuki had never raised her voice at Shizuru.

Not once.

What happened at dinner…?

That wasn't raising her voice; Natsuki was merely reprimanding Shizuru in her normal voice…

All the same.

Swallowing thickly, Natsuki waved her hands in the air and pulled the ends of her long hair in frustration. She did not know what to say; Shizuru was acting weird recently and she had no idea what had gotten into the girl. It definitely could not be that Shizuru had been taking up a new personality from one of her classmates; Natsuki was sure no one in Shizuru class was as such.

Who in world cries every hour?

A baby…

Then again, God dammit, Shizuru wasn't a baby.

Natsuki moved towards Shizuru and at that moment, Shizuru wailed.

'Shizuru!'

Shizuru only hugged the pillow tighter to her chest and cried harder into her knees. Natsuki clenched her jaw tight and moved her fingers, this wasn't going smoothly, and it had not ever since morning. Why in the world was Shizuru so sensitive to every word Natsuki said? Or…was she already all along sensitive to her words…

Shizuru.

Natsuki slapped her face and shifted closer to Shizuru that shook and trembled in her cries. Draping a hand over the girl, Natsuki felt Shizuru flinch before she found Shizuru's hands rounding her neck and flushing her closer. Natsuki rubbed the bare back of Shizuru and breathed softly,

'Shizuru.'

'Please tell me that Natsuki still wants to kiss me.'

Natsuki caught onto Shizuru's broken words as she heard the girl sob harder. The fresh tears that streamed down Shizuru's face could be felt on Natsuki's neck and Natsuki tried to pull back only to be flushed back down by the girl's tightening grip. Natsuki felt Shizuru quake in her arms and she ran a hair through the girl's hair.

So…This was all about that stupid question.

About those kisses. Those kisses that Shizuru said…

'I still want to kiss Shizuru.'

The girl in her arms suddenly stopped quivering, but it was only for a second before she shook even harder and wailed louder. Natsuki felt her arms tighten over the girl and she moved over to place a chaste kiss on Shizuru's forehead.

Shizuru stilled and her eyes met with emerald that looked down at her. Through her hazed vision, Shizuru was sure Natsuki was smiling and it was indeed a sight to see, how long it has been since she last saw Natsuki smile. She felt a hand run down her hair and hold tight onto her waist and Shizuru moved in closer, breathing in deeply.

Through Shizuru's sniffling, Natsuki was sure she heard the girl thank her over and over again. Yet, what was there to be thankful about, in no condition would Natsuki leave Shizuru; after all, Shizuru was the one that was changing Natsuki's life. In no other way would Natsuki let go of this change, not when so much in her life have changed.

'Promise me, Shizuru.'

The girl in her arms hitched a breath between a dying sob and Natsuki tightened her embrace,

'Promise you won't kiss anyone…'

Shizuru's cries seem to stop instantly,

'Anyone but me.'

* * *

Natsuki found her eyes up again, staring in the dim lighting of her apartment, at the ceiling. Her nose was tickled by Shizuru's light hair and it was unusual why she wasn't sneezing like she use to when she had something pressed under her nose. It was weird, but then again, it was change. Shizuru had her hands gripped tightly onto Natsuki's shirt, even when she was long into the world of dreaming.

Shizuru had caught onto Natsuki's promise like a gun shot and Natsuki only tightened her grip around Shizuru's waist when she realised that this girl on top of her wasn't going to be tearing up anytime soon. The girl had fallen off into slumber sooner than expected and Natsuki noted that it wasn't going to be an easy task getting up and bringing a dead asleep girl to her bedroom.

That explains the situation.

Stuck in the couch with a naked girl on top of her.

Hell, Natsuki hoped that Shizuru didn't think of anything…naughty in her sleep.

Easing her hands down the length of Shizuru's back, Natsuki's ears caught onto a soft noise that came from Shizuru and she repeated the action, only to get Shizuru tensing against her. All that movement, under the spell of sleep. Natsuki felt her legs grow weak and she ran a gentle hand down the girl's back once again, this time to hear,

'Natsuki.'

Natsuki froze, and dropped her eyes back to eye the sleeping figure on her. Was Shizuru awake? No, it couldn't be. Silence wrapped the both of them and Natsuki could barely here the shallow breathing of Shizuru and it was then she allowed herself to relax.

Taking a deep breath, Natsuki unwound her tensed muscles and brought her hands to smooth Shizuru's hair. It wasn't long before, emerald found themselves fighting the urge to retire behind closed doors. Sometimes Natsuki realised that Shizuru, though being entirely different…

Shizuru was…

She was a change worth embracing.

* * *

Natsuki woke up to find herself looking at soft cardinal eyes, all through a haze of black and brown. Then she felt it, Natsuki was sure something was running down the curve of her cheek, something smooth, and something soothing. It was not long before her other senses awoke and she could smell the light whiff of ice around her and something warm and moist on top of her navel.

Something bare…

Something…

'Shizuru!'

Natsuki jerked up, finding her face inches from those tempting lips that were parted slightly. She then realised that the top part of her shirt was left unbuttoned and her collar pulled up. The soft finger that ran down the curve of her cheek lingered at her lips and Natsuki found that she wasn't breathing at all.

Shizuru had her pinned down, since she indeed had her body completely on the length of Natsuki's, her legs firmly placed beside Natsuki's own and her body pressed tightly up against the latter. Shizuru had found the same sexual sensation rising within her and she had to urge to have Natsuki doing this and that to her this very moment.

That didn't sound so bad.

Just before she went to school.

Oh, kinky.

Lowering her face closer to a stunned Natsuki, cardinal found herself in a chaste kiss. It was unexpected, very, since it had only been a night when she had only confronted Natsuki of what she had been doing recently. A kiss.

A kiss from Natsuki.

It was downright electrifying, even though how short it was.

Shizuru could taste it, the essence of Natsuki, the one factor that made Natsuki, Natsuki. All that through a kiss. At that moment, Natsuki had pulled back, her face flushed red and her breathing slightly faster than usual. Shizuru felt her thighs burn and she chest swell in excitement, maybe this morning, she'll get that…

'Shizuru! You're going to be late again if you don't get off me!'

With that, Natsuki heard a soft groan from Shizuru and she quietly watched the reluctant girl pulled up from her body, trailing her hands down her chest and to rest at her abdomen. Then again, Natsuki felt uneasy when Shizuru stopped her journey of getting off her and she shivered momentarily when emerald caught onto the mischievous glint that shone in Shizuru's eyes.

Not good.

There was movement at her navel and Natsuki found her eyes travelling down to find out what exactly Shizuru was doing, only to force her eyes up when she really took notice on Shizuru's innuendo. Where was her modesty? Hell, Natsuki knew very well, since she noted onto the fact that Shizuru was stark naked on her, in the morning, with everything to offer.

Bringing her eyes up, Natsuki only found her face burning even when she had seen Shizuru nude for months already; yet somehow, it always got to her. She felt Shizuru move forward and Natsuki tensed, finding her hands trembling beside her. A soft moan was let out and Natsuki closed her eyes tightly upon feeling the light breath that caressed her face. She could feel it, the moisture that was building at her navel and she definitely knew that Shizuru was in the mood.

So in the mood.

Shizuru's hands were travelling up the sides of Natsuki and Natsuki heaved a breath, making sure that her eyes were screwed shut, and her lips pursed tightly. She had given a kiss to Shizuru just seconds ago and in no way was she going to allow the girl to grow any faster, it was rule she made and…

No matter how tempting Shizuru was at the moment, she was not going to kiss the girl.

No matter what circumstances.

Shizuru could kiss her, as many times, but it only worked when Natsuki kissed back. Once was enough, twice was going to make Shizuru grow to someone older than her. Thrice…Natsuki didn't even want to think about it.

She felt Shizuru plant her lips onto her cheek, her hands running up her chest to her shoulders and lastly, how could Natsuki not feel the warmth that Shizuru was leaking out onto her. God, it was insanity to her senses.

Her skin could feel the softness of Shizuru's firm beast against her chest, the length of her legs rubbing tightly against hers and the tender caressing touches of Shizuru's fingers. Natsuki could smell the refreshing scent of ice that came from Shizuru; it had become stronger even since arriving in her apartment. Certainly, she couldn't miss the musky smell that came along with the icy scent of the latter; the scent of arousal, desire and need.

Her ears could pick up the heaving of Shizuru's breathing and surprisingly her own uncertain breaths, it was hot on her face but it was certainly somewhat pleasant. Natsuki could taste her own desire building within her and she was trembling from the ministrations that Shizuru was showering her. She could feel it; it was raw in her chest, but to have sex with Shizuru now?

No, not now!

'Shizuru.'

'Natsuki please.'

Natsuki's mind whirled at the thick desire in Shizuru's voice. Then, she snapped back,

'Shizuru.'

Emerald opened to find cardinal right above her, and Natsuki breathed slowly,

'No, Shizuru.'

* * *

'You're not going to work today?'

Natsuki watched the girl tap her shoes twice on the ground before Shizuru turned around to look questioningly at emerald. Rubbing her chin, Natsuki nodded her head off to the calendar,

'Today I have a day off.'

'Oh, does that mean I have a day off too?'

Natsuki looked at Shizuru weakly and gave out a sigh, making the caramel coloured hair girl tilt her head. Pushing forward to Shizuru, Natsuki looked at the unusual cardinal.

'No, you have school.'

Glancing at the clock nearby, Natsuki noted that Shizuru was actually on time, right on the dot ready to leave for school. Taking no notice of the movement in front of her, Natsuki felt her hand get caught in between the soft ones of Shizuru. She looked up and she saw a brief smile appear on Shizuru's face,

'Then, I'll see Natsuki when I come home.'

'Yea.'

She felt the warm hands around her leave and Natsuki felt a tremor run up her arms. Shizuru adjusted her bag on her shoulder and passed one more warm smile at Natsuki before turning to the door,

'I'll be leaving then.'

Then and there, Natsuki felt her eyes widen. Did she just hear wrongly? Did Shizuru just say 'leaving'? No. No. Shizuru wasn't going to leave her right? Shizuru just said it wrongly. Yes…she said it incorrectly…did she? Shizuru always said I'll be going now, she had never said what she had just. Natsuki shook her head and stared at the girl pushing the door open, bringing in the morning light into the front of the apartment. Natsuki jerked out,

'Wait.'

Shizuru felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned her head to find Natsuki standing beside her, hurriedly slipping into her shoes. It was a first, since Shizuru had never heard Natsuki say,

'I'll leave with you.'

* * *

'God dammit! I didn't know that there was a hill to school.'

Natsuki heard Shizuru chuckle behind her as she pressed lightly on the brakes, breaking on the paddle and resting a foot on the ground. Natsuki was perspiring slightly and she growled inwardly, how unfit she had become. That was what she got from sitting at the desk for hours at work. She really needed to work out.

They had arrived in front of the school entrance with a good ten minutes to spare before the bell went.

Natsuki's ears picked up the shuffle of fabric from behind her and she caught onto Shizuru's arms unwinding from around her waist. Natsuki noted, that maybe if she wanted more time with the caramel coloured hair girl, she should cycle Shizuru everyday, to school. The bicycle wasn't that bad compared to her Ducati; the only difference was that it didn't have an engine that could growl like a wolf and that she needed to paddle like a dog to climb the hill that led to the local high school.

Maybe it was that bad.

Natsuki found Shizuru standing beside her and she realised that the other students of the school were streaming in and giving the both of them curious looks. Well, that was expected, since it was weird to have a female student standing beside a stranger on a bicycle. A roughish male stranger to the fact, since Natsuki knew she looked more like a man when she had her hair tied up and when she dressed in such casual clothing that consisted of a loose shirt and night pants.

Mai always told her that, seemingly, since her friend always saw her in that during her sporadic visits on the weekends.

Natsuki certainly didn't forget how Mai told her she actually looked good in the school skirt…

Emerald eyes moved over to the tall main building in front of her.

How long has it been for Natsuki since she last visited the school? It had been the same high school she attended with Mai and a few other close friends, but she certainly didn't expect that she had to enrol someone into her previous school.

Natsuki was sure that if she walked in, the teachers would instantly remember her; since her reputation of being the school's only girl delinquent was practically a legend in the school. It was better if she didn't go any further than the school gates, she had a feeling that the same security guard was still looking after the school.

What would make things even worse was that if she were to visit the teachers, they would be asking her tonnes of question, since she had a daughter in the school. Well, technically a daughter, since Natsuki had enrolled Shizuru into the school under her name, using her family name. Hence, Shizuru was a Kuga.

Kuga Shizuru.

Damn, it had a damn nice ring to it.

'Does Natsuki want to go back to school?'

Natsuki jolted out of her reverie and turned to find Shizuru waving at a girl that walked through the school gates. Natsuki looked back and noted that Shizuru was smiling. It was normal to make friends and she was indeed impressed that Shizuru had mixed around in her school, since she had remember that Shizuru insisted that she only wanted Natsuki by her side and her only.

Social circles are meant to be widened, not the other way 'round.

Well, that was what Mai told her all the time.

'No, not really.'

Natsuki kicked down the bicycle stand,

'It is just that this place brings back a lot of memories.'

Shizuru looked at her briefly and looked back forward to find even more students looking at her direction. Natsuki's voice rang over,

'I hope no one is disturbing you here.'

'Disturbing?'

At the moment, Natsuki heard a loud squeal nearby and she turned to find a group of girl rushing towards their direction, she narrowed her eyes and glanced at Shizuru,

'Do you have a fan club?'

Before Shizuru could answer, a loud roar was heard from the other direction and Natsuki whipped her head to find a bigger group of boys running to their direction. Emerald eyes widened and she caught onto a squirm from the girl that stood closer to her,

'Is the answer yes?'

* * *

'Class is going to start soon, you better get going.'

'If I go, will Natsuki follow me in?'

Shizuru watched Natsuki raise her eyebrows in surprise and she took a step closer. Her ears picked up the soft grunt of discontent and she lifted a daring finger to trace the light blue shirt that Natsuki wore. Fingering Natsuki's collar bone, Shizuru felt eyes on her and Natsuki seemed too still to be alive. Lifting her head up, she found the cool green eyes looking straight ahead, narrowed and harsh. She turned slightly and Shizuru found the solid brown gaze of Kozue staring right at her.

Their eyes met hard and she realised that in a blink of an eye, the vice-representative of her class turned around and stormed, rather quickly into the school. Before Shizuru could turn back, Natsuki's voice caught her in the net and she felt an unusual feeling rise up within her,

'Who is that girl?'

Shizuru pursed her lips and she herself was shocked at what she said,

'I don't know her.'

She could feel herself in her voice, she felt unsteady, unsure and she knew that what she had just said wasn't supposed to be said. However, Natsuki in turn, she thought, believed her; since the latter merely relaxed and looked back down at her.

'You better go.'

'Is Natsuki bringing in the bicycle for me?'

Shizuru watched Natsuki look confused at her and she held back a laugh. Raising a hand to cover her mouth, Shizuru allowed her amusement to shine in her eyes,

'I won't be able to get back if Natsuki brings the bicycle home.'

Natsuki gaped,

'How did you make your way home yesterday, when I got you to school on my Ducati?'

Shizuru backed up a step and pointed to where her class was situated in the school block,

'The track team walked me back home yesterday.'

'What!?'

Natsuki got off the two wheeler and gestured to the girl that stood before her,

'Shizuru, you can't just ask anyone to accompany you, they could have taken advantage of you.'

'Then should I just ask one of them?'

Shizuru watched in hilarity when Natsuki gritted her teeth,

'No! That makes it even more dangerous.'

Natsuki continued, snarling,

'You don't even know them well.'

Shizuru took one more step back, passed a smile and gestured to the bicycle,

'That means Natsuki would bring the bicycle in for me, right?'

'Then how do I get back?'

Shizuru used two of her fingers to represent legs and motioned Natsuki to the hill they had climbed up just now,

'You…walk?'

Watching the caramel coloured hair girl spin around to skip off to the gates of the school, Natsuki growled lowly. She wondered how she could even allow this girl to control how she acted and thought. Well, seemingly because, it felt that Shizuru had cast a spell onto her, that every now and then, Natsuki would have herself getting led by the collar. It was up till that moment of total ecstasy would Natsuki then realised that she was going overboard with Shizuru.

Geez.

Talk about good parenting.

God, she wasn't even a parent.

Natsuki didn't budge from her stand with the bicycle, instead she watched Shizuru silently enter the school, only to find the unexpected happening seconds later.

Shizuru whirled back around, ran up to Natsuki, got onto her toes and placed a deep kiss onto Natsuki lips. Her hand linger longer than necessary on Natsuki collar and when she pulled back to run back before the gates closed, Natsuki realised that she could still feel the soft caress of Shizuru's hand lingering at her neck.

* * *

'You're got a brilliant daughter.'

'Huh?'

Natsuki turned back face her old high school form teacher, Mister Iwasaki, who had not changed much. His head was still full of hair, just that it was now the colour of grey, and that his face had more wrinkles than before. She realised she had grown quite a lot, since she could look over his head now, when she previously could only look at the crooked bridge of his nose.

'Shizuru is a fast learner, and she does brilliantly in tests.'

'Oh.'

She hadn't been listening to what actually, since she had been staring solely at Shizuru that looked bored at her desk, listening to whatever was being taught.

How did Natsuki end up standing outside Shizuru's classroom, in the quiet corridor and listening to Mister Iwasaki? Natsuki was surprised, since she couldn't believe that she would have actually brought in the bicycle for Shizuru and decide on the fact that maybe she should pay the teachers a visit.

Maybe because it was all due to the fact that she wanted to be with Shizuru.

She didn't really have anything to do today…

She might as well.

Natsuki had gone to write her name at the security booth after parking the bicycle with the rest under the shelter, to find out that the security guard was still indeed the same old man that guarded the school doing her school days. Natsuki was ready for some jokes that the old man would make for her, instead she was shocked that the latter could no longer remember her.

All he said was,

'Ah, what is fine lad like you doing here? Visiting?'

Natsuki could only nod silently and wish him a good day as she walked to the entrance.

Shizuru was already long gone from her vision, since the girl had rushed to change into her indoor shoes and up to class. Natsuki certainly did feel nostalgic when she walked up the main flight of stairs that led to the first year classrooms. She could remember how Mai had chased her up to class when they had realised that they had barely a minute left before the bell rang.

The second flight led to the second and third year classrooms, which she stopped from walking further up when she found herself looking at Shizuru's reflection on a window pane. Natsuki had her head turned the instant, to find the source, only to bump into her old form teacher.

It had to be an illusion.

Maybe she was thinking about Shizuru too much.

Too much?

After the greetings and all, Natsuki had herself talking to Mister Iwasaki and suddenly, she had no idea how the topic bounced from her being a notorious student to Shizuru. With that, Natsuki found herself standing outside Shizuru's classroom. Through the windows of the classroom, she could spot Shizuru in a flash; that caramel colour could not be missed among the majority colour of black.

'What brings you here today? Natsuki?'

'Eh? I just came here to visit…and to check on Shizuru.'

'Alone?'

'I…'

Natsuki had looked back up, and she found Shizuru staring right at her, her mouth parted slightly as if in shock and her cardinal eyes twinkling in wonder. It was indeed a shock to the girl, to find Natsuki standing right outside her classroom.

'Natsuki?'

'Mai couldn't…wasn't free today so…'

'Miss Tokiha? Ah! That vibrant girl…'

Natsuki noted that Mister Iwasaki had walked started walking away from her but she couldn't help but just stand rooted to the ground and look at Shizuru, who in turn stared lovingly at her. It was almost until the point of no return when Natsuki had to break the eye contact when Mister Iwasaki called back out to her.

What was this feeling? This feeling of wanting Shizuru, of thinking of Shizuru, of touching Shizuru. Natsuki found her hands trembling as she walked down the corridor to the third and fourth level with Mister Iwasaki. Was this how much she wanted Shizuru, after all that change she had been through with that caramel coloured hair girl.

The girl that was now living the life she wanted to delve in… was that her wish for a change?

To have someone to…?

* * *

'Do you know that man?'

Shizuru looked at Megumi incredulously and frown inwardly; Natsuki was a man? Wasn't Natsuki a woman? Looking out of the window beside her seat, Shizuru caught onto Natsuki who joined the boys that were playing soccer at the courtyard. It was lunch period and Shizuru was surprised that Natsuki was still in the vicinity of her school. She had thought that Natsuki would leave instantly after having stared at her from outside her class earlier. After that, it seemed like an eternity had passed during class that now at the first sight of Natsuki, time seemed to have sped up.

Cardinal eyed the said figure when Megumi asked her once again and she narrowed her eyes onto Natsuki. Shizuru blinked once, twice and realised that her eyes were indeed playing tricks on her. It seemed that Natsuki looked more like a man with her long dark hair tied up into a pony, her sleeves rolled up and her toned form rushing over to the ball that was kicked across the dirt ground.

Shizuru did know that Natsuki's chest wasn't as huge as hers was, but it really seemed now that Natsuki was indeed like that of a male.

What!?

'Isn't he handsome?'

Morikita Chizu, the girl that sat behind Shizuru leaned forward and prodded Shizuru with her finger,

'I saw you with him this morning in front of the school gate.'

Shizuru jumped when Megumi squealed,

'Ah, he talked to you!? Who is he?'

Shizuru propped her head up with her hand and stared down at Natsuki that had stopped her run after the ball when it had been kicked out of the court, she breathed in slightly, only to stop what she wanted to say when Natsuki turned and looked at her direction.

'He's looking at us!'

Chizu cried, and Megumi followed on enthusiastically.

Shizuru felt the beating at her chest increase; it was unusual, since she had never felt the thing that gave her life beat at a rate much faster than she usually felt when Natsuki looked at her. This time, she really felt her cheeks sear and the apex of her thighs burn. Natsuki's eyes were locked onto her and it felt as if Natsuki was stripping her down this instant.

Those lips that glistened under the sun were so tempting that Shizuru had the desire to jump off from the second level, land in Natsuki's arms and kiss her senseless. However, the moment was broken when a familiar voice snapped at her from behind.

'You're a flirt, do you know that Miss Fujino?'

Shizuru turned readily to face Kozue and she found Chizu and Megumi backing her up by giving the class vice-representative quite a glare. It seemed that she wasn't the only one that found the girl a prick. Shizuru flipped a lock of her hair back and blankly shot back,

'No, I do not.'

'You're an ignorant girl, aren't you?'

Cardinal locked with darkening brown and Shizuru moved in her seat to face Kozue. Chizu had gotten up from her seat and moved over to tower beside Kozue, Chizu was after all the tallest member in the volleyball team; she is the tallest girl in school. Yet, the intimidation didn't move Kozue an inch and Shizuru stared on.

'You may have all the boys under your beauty, but you don't realise that one day they'll find you a bitch.'

Shizuru flinched at the word, she had heard Natsuki curse and swear a plenty, but never had she heard Natsuki utter such a word out to her. It was to her a sting in the heart. Kozue's eye seemed to have caught on and she laughed mockingly,

'Maybe your said lover has already found you a bitch.'

Then and there, Shizuru shot up from her seat causing her classmates that ate in the classroom to look at her inquiringly while Kozue backed up a little; Chizu and Megumi eased back slightly at the outburst. Shizuru felt her heart clench and she gritted her teeth, she had never felt so insulted and furthermore had she never felt as if she had been accused of something she had not done. However that wasn't just it, what made her even more angry was that, never had she heard anyone assume Natsuki hated her.

Natsuki adored her.

Natsuki cared for her.

Natsuki loved her.

Natsuki…

Narrowing her eyes, Shizuru said calmly, but her voice and words laced with venom,

'Take back what you just said Miss Mori.'

Kozue felt her knees go weak and her body terrible in fear, she had wanted to do as Shizuru said, but somewhere inside her told her that she wasn't going to make a fool out of herself in front of the students that looked on at what was happening,

'Why should I?'

Shizuru could hear the tremble in Kozue's voice, but that was not what Shizuru wanted to hear. Feeling her body tense, she took a step closer to Kozue and lifted a finger to point at the direction of the courtyard below. Megumi and Chizu had never heard their friends voice go so low and haunting, that they themselves felt a cold shiver run up their spines,

'That is because, that _man_ outside, is my lover.'

* * *

**A/N:** No worries, it doesn't end here, there are a few more chapters coming, this one-shot had to be broken down into parts, or else I'll be placing strain on this page. If you have any questions, feel free to pop in a message.

Then again,

Cheers!


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